By Lesli Langslet
The North Coast Housing Action Team of Healthy Mendocino (HAT) was created in response to the Mendocino County Community Health Needs Assessment. The assessment, completed in 2015, identified housing as one of the most pressing health priorities facing Mendocino County residents. With a vision that every person in our area should have access to safe and secure shelter, the North Coast Housing Action Team, has held monthly meetings involving a broad group of stakeholders and interested community members, to work together for solutions on the complex issue of improving housing.
Engaging and informing the north coast community about housing needs, challenges, and opportunities is one of HATs key goals. HAT plans to organize three public education workshops over the next year. The first workshop, scheduled for October 25th, is designed to provide information to help people interested in building a 2nd Unit or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on their property either in the city of Fort Bragg or in our county coastal region. We identified 2nd units or ADUs as the topic of a workshop due to the many benefits of ADUs, as well as in response to changes at the state, county and city level, which were implemented recently to encourage homeowners to build the units.
2nd Units have a variety of names, ADUs, Backyard Cottages, Secondary Units, Alley Houses, Efficiency Unit, garage apartments, and/or Granny Flats. They can be attached or detached residential dwelling units which provide complete independent living facilities located on the same parcel. They include permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation on the same parcel as the single-family dwelling is situated.
There are several benefits of ADUs. First of all, they are a more affordable type of home to build because they do not require purchasing land, major new infrastructure for water and sewer/septic, nor space for off street parking in our area. Units can also provide income for property owners. ADUs enable extended families, including adult children or parents to reside nearby, while maintaining privacy. Expense of adding an ADU is significantly less than building multifamily buildings. The size of the structure can vary to meet the needs of the owner and can be up to 960 square feet within the City of Fort Bragg, which can provide as much living area as many apartments and small homes.
The City of Fort Bragg also provides three free designs for detached ADUs that fit on a typical City lot. The designs range in size from 544 square feet to 767 square feet. Although there is a small copying fee ($3-5 per plan page), this represents a significant savings for Fort Bragg residents, as custom plans for an ADU can cost between $10,000 and $20,000. The County of Mendocino currently has one design available free of charge that can be used either as a single-family residence or an ADU.
The 2nd Unit Workshop is scheduled from 5:30 PM through 8:00 PM on Thursday, October 25th at Fort Bragg Town Hall. The target audience is property owners in the north coast area, including both inside and outside of the Fort Bragg City limits. The first 30 minutes of the event will be a time to view ADU designs, view photos of completed units, and obtain additional information from presenters. The first panel will focus on what is involved in building a second unit. It will begin with a brief introduction on second units, including descriptions of the types of units, and will go on to provide information on the architectural designs that are available, City and County regulations and site requirements, and information on the construction options and process, as well as information on selecting a contractor. The final portion of the program will be a panel discussion on the economics of building a second unit. This segment of the program includes information on how to finance the project, tax implications, effects of building a second unit on property values, and revenues, expenses and landlord responsibilities.
This workshop is an opportunity for property owners and prospective property owners to learn the basics of building a 2nd unit. For additional information on Healthy Mendocino check out www.healthymendocino.org or contact Elizabeth Swenson to get involved with the North Coast Housing Action Team at housingactionteam@mcn.org
###
Author:
Lesli Langslet
Resource Date:
October 3, 2018
Resource Type:
Topics:
